


Fluff Pile

by Katharos



Category: Saiunkoku Monogatari
Genre: Tooth rotting candy floss fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-11-12
Updated: 2006-11-12
Packaged: 2018-11-11 09:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11145240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katharos/pseuds/Katharos





	Fluff Pile

Title: Fluff Pile  
Author: Katharos  
Fandom: Saiunkoku Monogatari  
Warnings: Tooth rotting candy floss fluff  
Request: Cairnsy, [wanted crack](http://community.livejournal.com/fic_on_demand/897234.html?mode=reply)

I really didn't intend for this to come out so fluffy. Honest. But then little!Ryuuki was looking at me so hopefully and I just couldn't help myself!  
And I have this big cyberpunk Kouyuu and Reishin fic sitting half finished on my hard drive which _will_ be posted as soon as the furries stop taking over my brain and Reishin agrees to talk to me again.

 

Ryuuki’s tail twitched as he stared longingly down into the water, at the brightly coloured trailing fronds of the fish. It would be so easy…

“Got you,” a voice breathed right beside his ear and Ryuuki squeaked, jumped, and nearly tumbled head first into the pond. Strong arms caught him and pulled him back against a chest he could feel shaking with laughter, and the sharp scent that might have said ‘predator’ but had only ever said ‘love.’

“Seien-aniue!” Ryuuki protested, twisting around so he could pout up at his brother, so he could see Seien’s eyes bright with laughter and crinkling at the corners, pointed ears tipped forward in good humour as he smiled down at him, warm and amused, and Ryuuki couldn’t even keep up a pretend pout in the face of warmth that bloomed in him in response. He couldn’t imagine how anyone could.

“And what had your attention so much that that you didn’t even hear me, Ryuuki?” His brother glanced over at the pond, his smile turning a little wry along with the amusement. “The ornamental fish again? You know the gardeners are trying to get the Right and Left Uringan to stand guard to catch the ‘varmint’ making off with them?”

“You won’t tell?” Ryuuki looked up at his brother anxiously, already knowing the answer but needing to hear it again because-

Seien sighed and pulled Ryuuki closer against his chest, large bushy tail tucking around them both firmly. “Of course I won’t, Ryuuki,” and Ryuuki smiled and snuggled closer, tangling his own slimmer, smoother tail with his brother’s. Because then his brother would cuddle him like _this_ , so close that he could hear Seien’s heartbeat, slow and steady and reassuring. So close that no annoying little girls could squeeze in between them and Ryuuki smiled a very satisfied smile. “Besides,” Seien murmured in his ear, “Can you imagine what this place would look like after they got done ‘protecting’ it from each other?” Ryuuki could, and had to giggle at the mental image of the elite troops, standing shamefaced in a mudhole being scolded by the Daishogan who just wanted to get it over with so they could find out who’d won.

“And,” Seien said slowly, “We’ll have to see if we can organise a trip outside the city to a river.”

“Really?” Ryuuki asked eagerly, twisting around in Seien’s arms so he could stare up at his brother’s indulgent smile. “Really really?”

“Really,” Seien confirmed, smiling, and began running his fingers through his hair in a way that made Ryuuki’s eyes half close in bliss, stroking around his small, round ears. “We’ll have to organise it. It’s not good for otters to go too long without water. I’m sure Shoukun and Shouka-sama will want to go with you. And Shuurei,” Seien added, as if as an afterthought, and Ryuuki did his utmost best to stifle a small growl at that name because to have his brother back he would put up with a _thousand_ small crow-girl shaped annoyances trailing after them. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

“Why does she have to come?” he whined pathetically.

His brother’s hand paused in its petting. “Why do you say that? I thought you were getting along better now,” and Ryuuki gulped, remembering the pact of blood he had made with the crow girl last time they’d met, to act nicely in front of Seien, (she insisted on calling him ‘Seiran’ even though Ryuuki kept correcting her) from now on so he’d stop worrying. But that didn’t extend to _helping_ her get time with his brother.

“I’ll have you,” Ryuuki declared firmly. “That’s all I need.”

Seien hesitated before answering and Ryuuki looked up, suddenly worried; Seien’s ears were flattened slightly back against his head and his eyes were sad as he looked down at Ryuuki. “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to,” he said slowly. “Everything is still unsettled since I came back.”

“Oh,” Ryuuki whispered.

“Hey, don’t look like that,” Seien chided gently. “I’m sure you and Shuurei will have loads of fun together.”

Ryuuki doubted it. From the instant their eyes had met, one of Seien’s hands on each of the shoulders as he introduced them, war had been declared. But for someone who was so smart, (and Ryuuki was firmly of the opinion that Seien was the most intelligent person in the universe) his brother just didn’t seem to _get_ it, and insisted that they would both be great friends if they just tried.

“Maybe,” Ryuuki said grudgingly, then looked up hopefully, a way he could actually use the girl occurring to him. “I bet Shuurei would like it if you came along too!”

“Maybe,” Seien agreed quietly, and Ryuuki bristled at the fond, distant look that lingered in Seien’s eyes, suddenly not sure if he _wanted_ the ploy to work, but the Seien shook himself and his attention was back on Ryuuki, where it belonged and he was able to relax a bit. “It won’t be for a while though, whatever we do; things are still unsettled, so we’ll have to take the time to make sure you’ll be safe.”

“Oh,” Ryuuki said quietly, deflating slightly, and even though he’d known that would be the case he couldn’t help but cast a slightly forlorn look back at the ornamental pond. And then he squeaked out loud as he suddenly found himself grabbed in a tight hug.

“We’ll figure something out,” Seien murmured into his hair and Ryuuki relaxed contentedly because his brother could do anything, even return from exile.

They remained like that for a while, and then Seien nudged him. “Look at that,” he murmured, nodding across the garden, a thread of amusement plain in his voice.

Ryuuki blinked and peered after his gaze; he recognised Li Kouyuu, Kou Reishin’s adopted son, stalking across the lawn, his crest raised and wings half unfurled in annoyance. Following him was Ran Shuuei, puma like almost all the Ran clan, gleaming black under the sun and somehow managing to look lazy even as he hurried to keep up with the crane’s pace.

Ryuuki heard Seien hum thoughtfully by his ear, and glanced up to find his brother’s eyes gone narrow and speculative. “The first thing we’d need,” Seien murmured, “is a pack horse.” And then he grinned a very foxy grin and was up and bounding across the lawn, silver tail streaming out behind him, to where Ran Shuuei had cornered Li Kouyuu up against a tree and was leaning into his personal space as if he didn’t know that the other boy could break his arm with those wings.

It took Ryuuki a moment to figure out this meant the river trip was back on and then he scrambled to his feet, beaming and so happy he was almost afraid, and took off after his brother. Maybe Seien would even forget about inviting the crow-girl with them! It was annoying the way she was always dancing around in front of his brother; kind of like what Kouyuu was doing now that Seien had firmly secured a plainly horrified Shuuei’s attention. Ryuuki shook his head as he stumbled to a stop next to the group. You’d think he’d be glad that Seien had stopped the puma from stalking him; really, Ryuuki thought. He’d never understand birds.


End file.
